Rotary valve



Nov. 1924. 1,513,947

I J. R. WARREN ROTARY VALVE Filed NOV. 15, 1923 names: inwnmr,

I 51mm 7/ Patented Nov. 4, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATE T O ICE JOHN R. WARREN, 0F GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN E. WARBEH, DONALD J. CAMPBELL, CHARLES E. JOHNSON, PAUL R, BEABDSLEY, AND CARL P. DAMM, TRUSTEES, ALL OF MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN.

ROTARY VALVE.

Application filed November 15, 1928. Serial No. 674,883.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN R. WARREN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kentand State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rotary Valves, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to rotary valves; and its object is to provide a rotary valve, for internal-combustion engines and the like, having improved means for pre venting leakage.

This and any other objects hereinafter appearing are attained by, and the invention findspreferable embodiment in, the structure hereinafter particularly described in the body of this specification and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in w ich? Figure 1" is a vertical central sectional view of aIportion of an ihternal-combustion engine to which my invent-ion is shown applied, certain parts being broken away;

Figure 2 is a diametrical sectional view 'of one of the rings employed in said structure; I

r 3 s a side ew f sec n ng emp oye in said t e;

Figure 4 is a diametrical sectional view "o the e; d I

Figure 5 is an edgewise view of a portion hereot In the embodiment of my invention chosen for illustration by the drawings and for detailed description in the body of this specification, my invention is shown in connection with a four-cycle type of internal-com bustion engine having six cylinders, 1, 2 and 3 thereof appearing in diametrical longitudinal section in Figure 1. The cylinders have pistons 4, 5, 6, furnished with connecting rods 7 for operating the cranks respe.c tively on the crank shaft or engine shaft not shown).. At their upper ends, the cylinders have'ports 61, 62, 63, respectively for the admission of the operating fluid thereinto and for theexpulsion of the products of combustion therefrom. These cylinders are supported on the frame, designatedgen- I erally 14, of the engine. The rotary valve 15, for controlling the admission of the operating fluid to the cylinders and for perm t in h pulsion of t pr duc s o ombust on h refrom, rotate n a b a ng or. valve chamber in a valve-casing, designated generally 16, having ports communicating with the cylinders through the cylinders said ports respectively, and being supported in connection with the frame 14 In the construction shown, the casing 16 has a bushing 34 surrounding the valve nonrotatively and provided with openings 35 which register with the cylinders? ports respectively. The valve is hollow, having lon gitudinally-cxtending passages (not shown) to which the fluidis supplied from a vent 26 in the frame, the fluid thence passing through a series of inlets 51 through the valves wall and to each cylindershport 't-hrough openings 28 in the valves wall, the

P du of m s i n being di harged from each cylinder through outlets '30 th gh, t e s Wall and n o i s ongitudinally-extending passage opening at the end or ends of the valve through a centrally-disposed outwardly-extending exhaust nozzle 9 communicating the enhaust pipe 53. i

The general construction of the illustrated valve, its passages, inlets and. outlets may correspond in general with Patent No, 1,- 278,533 issued September 10, 1918 on my application, such inlets and outlets through the valves wall being so disposed angularly of the valve that the sequence of supply to and exhaust from the several cylinders is properly timed. In such valves however, it is diflicult to prevent leakage of the pro ducts of combustion from the exhaust nozzle of the valve into the valve casing or hearing, inasmuch. as this nozzle becomes very hot in operation, thus expanding and contracting greatly in its radial direction,

so that a tight fit of leakage-preventing means surrounding the nozzle is diflicult if notimpossible; and furthermore, the lubrication of the nozzle bearing in such surrounding means is likewise diiiicult or impossible.

The present invention has for its object the prevention of such leakage adjacent the exhaust end of the rotary valve. To this end, I provide said exhaust nozzle 9 of the valve, and in addition thereto the following member A ri g 8 Wh se pe ph ry fits in the valve casing, preferably abuts fitting- 1y against the end of the valve and surnd a d nozzle vhieh urns r ely" said ring; r.- second ring 10 preferably fits between this ring 8 and the end 1.1 of the valve chamber or casing and fits around the nozzle 9, but may permit the nozzles turning therein. The first ring 8 may be centrally recessed at 12 to receive the second ring 19, the circumferential rim 13 of the first ring 8 preferably abutting fittingly against the end 11 of the valve chamber or casing as shown. The second ring 10 is shown split, such split formation being preferably madeby cutting the ring partially through radially as shown at '17 and then breaking it adjacent such out as shown at 18.

It will be seen that by the provision of the exhaust nozzle 9, and the surrounding rings formed and fitting as described, leakage adj acent the exhaust end or ends of the rotary valve is very efiectively pervented. Inasmuch as the ring 10 fits around the valves nozzle 9 (so as to prevent leakage between these parts), and inasmuch as said ring 10 abuttingly fits on the ring 8 (so as to prevent leakage bet-ween these rings), and inasmuch as the periphery 44 of the ring 8 fits in thevalvecasing (to prevent leakage between ring 8 and the valve casing), it will .be seen that products of combustion issumg from the mouth of the nozzle 9 cannot pass back beyond the ring 8 and enter the cylinders ports, although the nozzle 9 extends loosely and non-fittingly through the ring 8 and although the ring 10 does not fit at its outer periphery in the valve casing or in any part of the structure; and that, by reason of this non-fitting or spaced relation between the ring 8 and the valves nozzle and between the ring 10 and the valve casing or other parts outside the ring 10, the nozzle 9 may expand and contract without causing leakage back into the valve casing and the cylinders ports.

It being desirable that the ring 10 may fit as closely as possible around the valves nozzle 9 but may nevertheless expand when necessary as this nozzle expands, said ring 10 is radially cut at 17 nearly therethrough and is then broken at 18 the rest of the way therethrough. Ifthe cut 17 extended entirely through this ring, the part removed. by such cutting would form a gap open through the ring; and if the ring were broken entirely through (no out 17 being first made), this ring would remain tightly closed at the. line ofbreaking unless and.

until the nozzle 9 expands enough to open the fissure, so that, until such fissure is thus opened, there would be no open passage through this ring 10; but, inasmuch as it is impracticable to breakthe ring 10 entirely through, the cut 17 is first made, whereupon the breaking at 18 of the ring is com-paratively ,easy. It is thus manlfest that the ,ring 10, formed as above described, provides a device (surrounding the valves nozzle) which is as nearly leak-proof as may be in a packing ring of the character described, in view of the fact that the said nozzle must at times expand and thus more'or less open the fissure formed by said breaking. The products of combustion have a certain lubricating quality which lubricates the bearings adjacent the nozzle 9. In the illustrated construction, the rotary valve has a skew gear 43 between the third and fourth of the six cylinders, with which gear meshes a skew gear 42 on the shaft 40 driven by the engine shaft, for rotating the valve.

Without limiting myself to details of construction. of the particular embodiment of my invention illustrated by the drawings or hereinbefore described, 7

I claim: 7

1. In an engine: a rotary-valve casing having an exhaust passage at its end; an engine valve rotatable in said casing and having an exhaust nozzle at its end adjacent said exhaust passage; a packing ring in which said nozzle freely turns, and fitting in the Valve casing; a packing ring through which said nozzle fittingly extends and fitting the first-mentioned ring.

2. In an engine. a rotary-valve. casing having an exhaust passage at its end; an engine valve rotatable in said casing andhaving an exhaust nozzle at its end adjacent said exhaust passage; a packing ring in which said nozzle freely turns, and fitting in the valve casing and having a centrally disposed recess in its side; a packing. ring a through which said nozzle fittingly extends and fitting the first-mentioned ring.

In an engine: a rotary-valve casing the bottom of said recess and said end of the.

valve casing.

4. In an engine: a rotary-valve f casing having an exhaust passage at its end; an enginevalve rotatable insaid casing and hav' ing an exhaust nozzle at its end adjacent said exhaust V passage; a packing ring through which said nozzle extends, fitting in the valve-casing and abuttingly fitting said end of the valve; a packing ring througl'i which said nozzle fittingly extends and fitting between the first mentioned ring and said end of the-valve casing.

5. In an engine: arotary-valve casing having an exhaust passage at its end; an engine valve rotatable in said casing and having an exhaust nozzle at its end adjacent said exhaust passage; a acking ring in which said nozzle freely turns, and fitting in the valve casing; a packing ring through which said nozzle fittingly extends and fitting the first mentioned ring; at least one of said rings being out partially through radially and then broken adjacent such cut to form a split ring.

6. In an engine: a rotary-valve casing having an exhaust passage at its end; an engine valve rotatable in said casing and having an exhaust nozzle at its end adjacent Said exhaust passage; a packing ring in which said nozzle freely turns, and fitting in the valve casing; a packing ring through which said nozzle fittingly extends and fitting the first mentioned ring; at least one of said rings being split.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Grand Rapids, Michigan this 5th day of November, 1923.

JOHN R. WARREN. 

